Rohith Srinivas (18S03G)

Project Work Preliminary Idea

2017 A Level Project Work Task 2: Investment

Lack of investment into changing the mindset of underage smokers towards smoking

Problem:

Rising number of underage smokers in Singapore: 17% more underage smokers

caught in 2014 than 2013 (Pei Shan, & Pearl, 2017)
Existing solutions largely ineffective: Proportion of students aged 13-16 who smoked
at least 1 day in the past 30 days remained at 6.2% from 2009 to 2012 [2015, SHS]
Rationale for Choice:

About 7 Singaporeans die prematurely from smoking-related diseases like cancer,

heart disease, stroke (also leading causes of death in Singapore) everyday

High Social Cost: Local social cost of smoking in 1997 ranged from S$673 to S$839
million

Highly addictive: Cigarettes contain nicotine -> jacks your reward circuit

Existing Solutions:

Plans to raise minimum age of smoking from 18 to 21 (HUI, 2017)

In-campus HPB programmes to educate youth on hazards of smoking (e.g. Too Tuff
to Puff programme, PAL smoking-prevention programme, Break-Free programme)

Underlying Cause/Gaps in Existing Solutions:

Long-term detriments of smoking are not apparent to underage smokers [2017, ST]

Anti-smoking talks, current legal barrier do not effectively dissuade existing

underage smokers

Problem Objective:

Hence, there is a need to invest time and effort into solutions that effectively deter youths
from picking up underage smoking.

Therefore, this is a significant problem as there is an increasing trend in underage smokers,

this problem has severe implications, and existing solutions are ineffective.
Solution: MIA Programme

Mentorship
M
Underage smokers will undergo mandatory mentorship with willing
volunteers from the "I Quit"Programme
Solution Rationale Time Frame
MIA Programme - Flagged offenders will engage
- MIA programme serves helps in programme for 1 year
- Involvement
Flagged underage to persuade existing underage - If no incidence of re-offence,

I
smokers will be
Underage
involved with
smokers flagged by authorities they can be released from the
smokers will be actively recruited to participate in
to invest effort into dropping
neighbourhood anti-smoking campaigns
volunteers from I smoking
programme

Quit self- Sustainability

improvement -> Youth are not easily -Sustainable by collaborating
Ambassadors
programme influenced by school- with teachers to enforce MIA

A
- schools
Mandatory
mandated talks and a personal programme in schools
Underage smokers will work as anti-smoking ambassadors in their
mentorship and guidance into -HSA officers will take
quitting smoking would be bimonthly survey of school to
involvement in anti-
more effective monitor progress of offenders
smoking campaigns
-> Leads to change in mindset - Increased frequency of
in neighbourhood
that smoking is not cool plainclothes officer patrolling in
neighbourhoods to catch more
- Requires all flagged -MIA Programme compels underage smokers
underage smokers underage smokers to take an Collaboration
to work as anti- active role in reducing smoking - HPB (Manages I Quit)
smoking in their neighbourhood - Relevant Neighbourhood
ambassadors in -> offenders will be exposed to Police Officers
their school more educational material on - HSA (underage tobacco usage
why smoking is detrimental is under their purview)
-> other potential offenders
will be more effectively
dissuaded as they notice their
peers who are ex-smokers
dropping the habit

Strength Weakness Solution to Weakness

Effectively dissuades youth Solution does not MIA programme must be
from smoking as youth can interdict youth access to used as a complement with
now role model after quitters cigarettes, which can still new legislation to increase
and will also be actively be obtained through minimum age to 21
 involved in anti-smoking social circles ->harder for youth to obtain
campaigns and activities cigarettes through older
friends in social circles

Citations:
Education, enforcement key in fight against underage smoking: HPB. (2017). TODAYonline. Retrieved
21 March 2017, from http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/education-enforcement-key-fight-against-
underage-smoking-hpb?page=1

HUI, P. (2017). Raising minimum legal age for smoking: Making it harder for youth to light up. The
Straits Times. Retrieved 21 March 2017, from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/raising-
minimum-legal-age-for-smoking-making-it-harder-for-youth-to-light-up

OSADA, J. (2017). Youth favour proposed anti-smoking regulations. The Straits Times. Retrieved 21
March 2017, from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/youth-favour-proposed-anti-smoking-
regulations.

Pei Shan, H., & Pearl, L. (2017). More students caught smoking; schools install detection
devices. The Straits Times. Retrieved 21 March 2017, from
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/more-students-caught-smoking-schools-install-
detection-devices